The sub-committee that issued the report that is the topic of this thread recommended that copyright terms and renewals be limited to avoid negative externalities. If limiting copyright terms is rational, and the Berne Convention would prevent limiting copyright terms because it was negotiated in a different era, then the Berne Convention is irrational.

This discussion is a little bizarre in that it has been the US consistently in the lead in extending its own copyright terms, and influencing other countries to do likewise. The idea that it is going to turn around and suddenly reduce them is what is irrational. The same interests that have paid for existing extensions will continue to pay for further ones.